WASTE LAND

Grey River Argus, 30 July 1940, Page 4

WASTE LAND

NOW AT PRODUCTIVE STAGE. WELLINGTON, July 29. The development of land for settlement was reviewed by the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone). He said that while some of the land was expensive to develop he hoped to see the time when it would ail b e from debt. In 1936, he said, there wer e 38,990 acres under development, and by 1940 that had been increased to 130,00 u acres. Most of the land wag abanaoned area s or waste Crown land. He had concentrated on that type of land because he did not want to spend large sums on purchasing land that was already in production. Comparing the years 1936 and 1940, the Minister said the sheep carried had increased from 8800 to 93,959 dai«y cows had increased from 2155 to 8831. and run cattle had increased from 1132 to 13,317. The Minister also reviewed the progiess of fencing, drainmg, etc., an! said that the task that had been undertaken was one of considerable magnitude and he wanted to se e it done without loss to the taxpayers. In th e future his department- would go into the .question of bringing the land into more intensive production, sucn as fruit growing, poultry farming, and bee farming. As the money used for development was supplied by the taxpayers and not by th e occupiers, considered his first duty was to protect the interests of Th e taxpayers.